Court extends interim protection of Karti Chidambaram

The interim protection given to Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, in the Aircel-Maxis case has been extended till the next date of hearing which is May 2 by a Delhi Court.

On March 24, Karti Chidambaram was granted an anticipatory bail by a Special Delhi Court, which had asked him to appear before the investigating officer whenever he is summoned.

Karti was arrested on February 28 at the Chennai airport on his return from the United Kingdom, for his alleged role in facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX Media Ltd. and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

He allegedly took service charges for getting the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving funds from abroad worth Rs. 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the finance minister.

The Aircel-Maxis deal is part of the wider 2G scam that engulfed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a First Information Report (FIR) in 2011, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered an enforcement case investigation report (ECIR) in 2012, in connection with the Aircel-Maxis case.